Banjo



March 15, 1932. HUNTER 1,349,091

BANJO Filed Sept. 14, 1928 Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED- STATES PATENTo1=1=1 ALBERT E. HUNTER, OF I'ARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 REGAL MUSICALINSTRU- MENU. (30., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOISBANJO 7 Application med September 14, 1928. Serial no. 806,011.

The object'of this invention'is to provide a string musical instrument,for example, of thebanjo type having an improved construction'fortightening the head to the shell of the instrument by which thenecessity for perforating the shell is eliminated and that'also servesas a resonator for improving and en: 3

riching the tone of the instrument.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the followingdescription, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a'preferredembodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a string musical instrument of thebanjo type provided with an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the shell head and back showing theimproved construction for tightening the head the shell;

Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of the supporting lugs for the headtightening rods, and

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the shell and backof theinstrument.

The string instrument shown in the drawings is of the banjo type andcomprises a back 11 made of suitable wood and provided-with anupstanding rim 12 having in its top edge an inside annular groove 13,the purpose of which will appear hereinafter. The shell 14 of theinstrument is also made of suitable wood and is of somewhat smallerdiameter than the back 11. Stretched over the top of the shell is theusual membrane 15 formed of a suitable skin, such as calf skin. Theedge-of the membrane 15 is rolled around a supporting ring 16 adapted tofit tightly the outer cylindrical surface of the shell 14. Mounted abovethe supporting ring 16 is the membrane or head tightening ring 17. Thisring 17 is dimensioned to fit tightly the depending edge portion 18 ofthe membrane or head and is depressed. relatively to the top of theshell 14 20. The finger-board 21 is mounted on top of the neck 19 andextends thereover'rrom the base of the scroll 20 to the bottomof theneck 19. As shown, the scroll 20-is inclined ,backwardly in the usualmanner from "the neck 19 and the top ofthe finger-board 21. If desired,the'fingering of the instrument in playing may be assisted by aplurality of frets 22 which mark the tone positions of different pitchon the finger-board.

' The strings are secured at their'upper ends to the tuning'pins 23whichmayybe operated in the ordinary manner by tuning pegs 24. From thetuning pins 23, the strings 25 are strung over the finger-board 21andbridge 26 mounted on the head of the banjo and are secured attheir'lower ends to the tail piece 27 which is mounted at the bottom ofthe shell 14 and projects ov'er the and areformed with hooks 29 at theirupper ends which engage'over the. shoulder .30 of" and enter a retaininggroove 31 provided in the top of the tightening ring 17. 1

According to the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the severaltightening rods 28 are individually supported by lug mem bers 32. Theselug members 32 respectively engage the outer face of the shell 14 andare formed at their bottoms with seating portions 33 comprising adepending flange 34, a seat 35 for engaging the bottom edge of the shell14 and an inside relatively low upstanding flange 36 which extendsupwardly from the base of the shell and engages the inside surfacethereof: Extending outwardly from the respective lug members 32 are,bracket portions 37, the outer'edges of which rest in the inside groove13 provided in the rim 12 of the back 11. The tightening rods 28 areextended through holes 38 provided in the bracket portions 37 of the lugmembers, and nuts 39 are screw-threaded on the lower ends of the rodsbelow the bottom of said bracket portions 37. a t

The lug members 32 serve to brace and hold in accurate position the back11 which is secured at its center by the bolt l1 threadedly engagedwithin the usual underbrace 42 arranged across the shell 1a and securedat its ends in registration with the neck 19 of the instrument. The bolt41, upon tightening, causes the upper edge of the rim 12 of the back topress firmly against the bracket ends of the lugs to bind the parts intight, firm engagement.

WVith the foregoing construction, the tightening ring 17 may be readilydepressed by screwing up the nuts 39 against the bottom faces of thebracket portions 37 of the respective lug members. This is accomplishedby first removing the back 11 of the instrument by removing the bolt 41.After the several tightening rods have been adjusted to exert the properdownward pressure on the tightening ring 17 and cause the proper stretchto the membrane which provides the head of the banjo, the back 11 may bereapplied to the instrument so that the edges of the bracket portions 37of the lug members rest in the inside groove 13 at the top of the rim 12at the back.

The improved banjo provides for ready and rapid adjustment of the headto the shell l-fl: of the instrument and a secure holding of the head bythe tightening ring 17 in adjusted relationship, by a supporting andtightening means which avoids any necessity for piercing the shell andthus impairing its resonance. The lug members 32 not only add to theornamental appearance of the instrument, as shown in Fig. 1, but alsoprovide a simplified construction eliminating the necessity for anyseparate flange between the shell 14 and the edge of the rim 12. Theselug members may be made of relatively heavy metal, thus increasing theweight of the instrument, a desirable feature in the banjo types, andimproving its resonance.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.Moreover, it is not indispensable that all features of the in vention beused conjointly, as they may be advantageously employed in varioussub-combinations and other combinations.

I claim:

1. In a stringed musical instrument of the banjo type, a shell, a backlarger circumferentially than the shell and provided with an upstandingrim spaced from the wall of the shell, a head, a series of lug membersdisposed circumferentially of the shell and bridging the gap between theshell and said back rim, said lug members engaging both the shell andthe rim of said back member, and means securing said back member to saidshell and pressing said rim against said lug members.

2. In a musical instrument of the banjo type, a shell, a back largercircumferentially than the shell and provided with an upstanding rimspaced from the wall of the shell, a head, a series of lug membersdisposed circumferentially of the shell and engaging the bottom of theshell and the top of said back rim, and hooked head tightening rodsengaging said head and said lug members.

3. In a musical instrument of the banjo type, a shell, a membranous headadapted to be stretched over the top of the shell, a tightening ring inengagement with said head and adapted on depression relatively to theshell to stretch said head, hooked head tightening rods engaging saidtightening ring, lugs engaging the bottom of the shell and saidtightening rods, and a back member secured to the shell and bearingagainst said lug members.

ALBERT E. HUNTER.

